Such a drive belt is well-known and is, for instance, described in the European patent applications EP-A-0 329 206 and EP-A-0 626 526. The known drive belt is composed of a plurality of transverse segments and at least one endless or ring-shaped carrier that extends through a recess of each of the segments such that these are supported thereby. The transverse segments are neither fixed to one another nor to the carrier ring, such that they can move relative to the carrier at least in the circumferential or length direction thereof. In the drive belt, adjacent transverse segments abut one another through their respective front and back main body surfaces, which main body surfaces face, at least predominantly, in the said circumferential direction. Typically the transverse segments and the carrier ring are made of steel. The carrier ring is typically composed of a number of individual bands that are narrowly fitted one around the other.
In the known design of the transverse segment three basic portions can be recognised, namely an essentially trapezoidal base portion, a head portion and a web portion provided in-between and connecting the base portion and the head portion. A width dimension of the web portion is less than a corresponding width of the base portion and the head portion, whereby the said recess, where through the carrier extends in the drive belt, is defined between the said base and head portions.
On either side of the base portion the known transverse segment is provided with a friction surface, which friction surfaces are mutually oriented at an angle that is narrowly controlled in manufacture. By means of these friction surfaces the transverse segments of the drive arrive in (frictional) contact with a driving pulley and a driven pulley of the transmission such that a rotation of the driving pulley can be transferred to the driven pulley via the likewise rotating drive belt. Further, the base portion is provided with a so-called rocking edge in the form of a convexly curved part of one of its main body surfaces, which convex surface part extends width-wise from one axial side of the base portion to the other, i.e. in-between the said friction surfaces thereof. In the drive belt radially inward from, i.e. below the rocking edge, the base portion of the transverse segment is tapered, at least effectively. Together, the rocking edge and such tapered bottom side of the transverse segments, allow adjacent segments in the drive belt to mutually rotate while remaining in mutual contact at the location of the rocking edge, whereby the drive belt curves in the length direction thereof.
It is also known to provide the base portion with one or more cut-troughs, i.e. holes, in the parts thereof below the rocking edge. Such holes can serve multiple purposes, such as to reduce the weight of the transverse segment (and thus also of the drive belt as a whole) and/or to improve the lubrication and/or cooling properties of the drive belt during operation thereof in the transmission, which latter purpose is the topic of the European patent application EP-A-2938904. According to this EP-A-2938904 the effort required to circulate lubrication/cooling oil during operation, i.e. drive belt rotation, can be favourably reduced by providing the transverse segment with an appropriate shape, number, size and/or position of such holes.